Page 33 - NIS English September 1-15

KVIC EMPOWERING KHADI ARTISANS

ndia’s success story in the Textile sector continues despite the COVID-19
Ipandemic hitting the country hard. Khadi and Village Industries Commission
(KVIC) has taken the lead as mask manufacturing has become a potential
tool of empowerment for Khadi artisans.

Having distributed 9 lakh face masks across the country, KVIC also
began selling masks through outlets online. According
to KVIC, it has sold nearly 11 lakh face masks which
includes online sale too. This figure is apart from the
distribution of masks across the country. The
KVIC gave stitching charges to its artisans,
mostly women, at the rate of Rs 3 per mask
and thus disburses over Rs 30 lakh as
wages to mask making artisans.

KVIC has recently received an order of
1.61 lakh face masks from the Indian Red Cross Society. This will create
nearly 20,000 meters of Khadi fabric and will create nearly 9000 mandays
of work.

KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena welcomed the purchase order from
the Indian Red Cross Society and said the massive demand of Khadi Face
Masks is a major step in the direction of ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’. “This order
will help our Khadi artisans to produce more yarn and fabric and will further
add to their income in these difficult times,” Saxena said.

1590 products got registered under this brand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi too in one
which had more than 180 product categories. of its episode in Mann Ki Baat talked about
celebrating August 7 as National Handloom
The portal with a single ‘sign-in’ is to act as
one-stop shop for information on all handloom Day. He said, “The Handloom of India and our
schemes. It will retain information, and will Handicrafts encompass a glorious history of
ensure transparency and provide real-time hundreds of years. It should be an endeavour
status update on applications under National on part of all of us to use Indian Handloom and
Handloom Development Programme, as also Handicrafts as much as possible, and also
the information on various schemes such as communicate to more and more people about
Mudra Loan Scheme, Weavers’ Insurance, Yarn them.” Ministry of Textiles is also facilitating
Supply, distribution of looms and accessories, formation of Producers Companies across
number of trainings, etc. An online lottery the country in the handloom sector as a thrust
system for transparent allotment of stalls for area with the objective to extend the benefits
various events such as melas, Dilli Haats, etc. of various handloom schemes to the weavers,
has been introduced. The portal will be linked workers, in particular to those who are either
to e-office and DBT portal. working independently or in the fold of Self-
Help Groups or Producer Groups. n

New India Samachar 31